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ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 471
trigeminus, the analogy of which with the spinal nerves
had already been noticed by SOEMMERING and PROCHASKA.
MAGENDIE, and JOHANNES MULLER in a greater degree
still, confirmed BELL'S discovery by convincing experiments.
The doctrine of reflex movement already advanced by
DESCARTES, and plainly enunciated by PROCHASKA, to
which MARSHALL HALL, in 1833, gave a scientific founda­
tion by his observations, and which JOHANNES MULLER
corrected in certain points and demonstrated in a clear,
intelligible manner, now constituted a recognized addition
to science. The functions of the several nerves and the
significance of the different nervous formations, as of
ganglia, for instance, were determined by experiment. Even
a solution of the difficult problems offered in the physiology
of the central nervous system was attempted.
F J. GALL thought that in examining and comparing the
skulls of persons, possessed of definite peculiarities of
intellect or character, he had observed that certain localities
were more prominent than others. Adhering to the old
theory that the faculties of the mind are definitely localized
he inferred that intellectual centres are accurately mapped
out in the brain and can be recognized by the increased
vaulting of the cranial surface at particular spots.
Although he was anxious to support this hypothesis by
anatomical investigations, speculation really had a pre­
ponderating influence. His method of localizing and dis­
tributing the faculties of the mind was an arbitrary one,
and his assumption that such give any characteristic
indications upon the surface of the skull was an entirely
erroneous one. For all this, he must be credited with
having rendered the service of advancing the anatomical
investigation of the brain and of stimulating men to a
scientific study of the skull, a subject undertaken with
great success by C G. CARUS, HUSCHKE, and others.
It was reserved for the improved methods of research of
modern times to throw some light into the dark places of
cerebral physiology. By the help of these it became